Harris Center for the Arts - The Golden Bay Times

Prince Pericles has everything a young royal could desire: noble blood, intelligence, courage, and a promising future. Unfortunately, one dangerous discovery changes his prospects considerably, sending him fleeing across unfamiliar seas with little more than his instincts and determination to guide him. What follows is a sweeping adventure filled with mysterious kingdoms, powerful rulers, treacherous storms, and the unpredictable workings of fate. Traveling from one distant shore to another, Pericles encounters remarkable strangers whose kindness, ambition, and hidden motives continually reshape his journey. A royal tournament offers an unexpected opportunity for romance, while the dangers of the Mediterranean threaten to separate loved ones and destroy carefully laid plans. Shakespeare fills this extraordinary tale with shipwrecks, pirates, disguises, family secrets, and moments of surprising tenderness. Unlike his more familiar tragedies, Pericles moves between danger and wonder, allowing its characters to discover how quickly fortune can change. Presented by Falcon's Eye Theatre at Folsom Lake College, this maritime adventure transports audiences into a world where kings and commoners alike must confront extraordinary circumstances. With its mixture of romance, suspense, humor, and theatrical imagination, Pericles offers a captivating journey through one of Shakespeare's most adventurous and emotionally rich stories.

Dorothy is an ordinary young woman whose world suddenly becomes anything but ordinary when a powerful tornado sends her spinning into the fantastical Land of Oz. Surrounded by unfamiliar landscapes, eccentric inhabitants, and circumstances nobody back home could possibly believe, she quickly discovers that finding her way home will require more than simply wishing for it. Her destination is the Emerald City, where a mysterious wizard supposedly possesses the power to solve her problems. Fortunately, Dorothy is not traveling alone. Along the way, she befriends a Scarecrow searching for brains, a Tinman longing for a heart, and a Lion desperately hoping to discover his courage. Together, these unlikely companions encounter magical creatures, dangerous adversaries, and situations that challenge everything they believe about themselves. Inspired by L. Frank Baum's beloved Oz stories, The Wiz transforms the familiar adventure into an exuberant celebration of soul, gospel, jazz, rock, and funk. Its infectious musical numbers, energetic choreography, colorful characters, and playful humor give Dorothy's extraordinary journey a distinctive personality. Beneath the spectacle lies a heartfelt story about friendship, identity, and the search for belonging. The result is a wonderfully imaginative musical that invites audiences to follow the yellow brick road with an entirely different rhythm.

Christmas Eve has arrived, and the Silberhaus household is glowing with festive excitement. Beneath a magnificent Christmas tree, family and friends gather for an evening of music, presents, and celebration. Young Clara is especially delighted when the mysterious Herr Drosselmeyer arrives with magical surprises and an unusual wooden nutcracker that captures her imagination. As the evening unfolds, ordinary holiday festivities begin giving way to something considerably more extraordinary. Clara finds herself drawn into an enchanted world where toys seem to possess lives of their own, toy soldiers confront a fearsome Mouse King, and a courageous Nutcracker Prince becomes her companion on a remarkable adventure. Their journey carries them through a glittering winter landscape, where the Snow Queen presides over a magical kingdom filled with swirling snowflakes. Beyond the snowy wonderland awaits the Kingdom of Sweets, an enchanting destination populated by delightful characters, charming dancers, and the magnificent Sugar Plum Fairy. Set to Tchaikovsky's celebrated score, this production from Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet combines elegant classical dancing with colorful costumes and beloved holiday traditions. Featuring Maestro Peter Jaffe, The Nutcracker transforms a child's Christmas imagination into a dazzling theatrical experience filled with wonder, beautiful music, and the timeless magic of the season.

Lydia Deetz is not your typical teenager. Fascinated by the strange, the mysterious, and everything associated with death, she feels increasingly disconnected from a world that seems determined to misunderstand her. Moving into a new house with her family hardly improves matters, especially when she discovers that the property already has some rather unusual occupants. Adam and Barbara Maitland, a recently deceased married couple, are attempting to navigate the bewildering realities of the afterlife while protecting the home they once loved. Their ghostly existence becomes considerably more complicated when an outrageous supernatural troublemaker named Beetlejuice enters the picture. Dressed in his unmistakable striped suit and equipped with a spectacular disregard for good manners, Beetlejuice has plans that could turn everyone's existence upside down. Lydia soon finds herself surrounded by competing personalities, bizarre rules, and increasingly ridiculous supernatural complications. Based on Tim Burton's celebrated film, Beetlejuice combines mischievous humor, spectacular theatrical effects, eccentric characters, and a delightfully irreverent musical score. Beneath its outrageous comedy lies a surprisingly thoughtful exploration of grief, family relationships, and the desire to feel understood. This Broadway musical invites audiences into a wonderfully strange world where being alive is complicated, being dead is inconvenient, and nothing stays ordinary for long.

Four young men from working-class New Jersey neighborhoods share an extraordinary musical ambition, even if their individual personalities make cooperation something of a challenge. Frankie Valli possesses a remarkable falsetto voice, while his fellow musicians bring their own talents, ambitions, and complications to the group. Together, they begin building a distinctive sound that will eventually capture the attention of audiences far beyond their hometown streets. Their journey follows the formation and rise of The Four Seasons, one of America's most successful vocal groups. But the road from neighborhood performances to international stardom is anything but smooth. Financial pressures, personal disagreements, demanding schedules, and competing loyalties threaten to disrupt the friendships that helped create their success. As their popularity grows, the distance between their polished public performances and complicated private lives becomes increasingly difficult to ignore. Jersey Boys tells this remarkable story through the perspectives of the musicians themselves, weaving personal recollections into a musical celebration of their extraordinary catalog. Audiences will recognize enduring hits including Sherry, Big Girls Don't Cry, Walk Like a Man, and Can't Take My Eyes Off You. Funny, energetic, occasionally heartbreaking, and filled with unforgettable music, this Tony Award-winning production reveals the personalities behind those celebrated harmonies.

A magnificent royal celebration welcomes Princess Aurora into a kingdom overflowing with happiness and anticipation. Distinguished guests gather to honor the newborn princess, while generous fairies arrive bearing extraordinary gifts intended to guide her future. Unfortunately, the celebration takes a dangerous turn when the powerful fairy Carabosse appears with a grievance that threatens the happiness of the entire royal household. Her ominous curse casts a shadow over Aurora's childhood, leaving the king and queen desperate to protect their daughter from a destiny they cannot fully control. As the princess grows into a beautiful young woman, the palace becomes a place where royal traditions, enchanted promises, and unseen dangers exist side by side. Beyond its gates lies a magical world where time itself seems capable of surrendering to extraordinary powers. Featuring Princess Aurora, the Lilac Fairy, Carabosse, and an array of enchanting characters, The Sleeping Beauty brings one of classical ballet's most beloved fairy tales to the stage. World Ballet Company's production features forty professional dancers, more than 150 elaborate costumes, handcrafted scenery, and multimedia effects. Accompanied by Tchaikovsky's celebrated music, the performance transforms familiar storybook images into graceful movement, elegant choreography, and a spectacle filled with wonder, romance, and timeless theatrical beauty.

Imagine walking into a theater where the musicians have apparently misplaced every conventional instrument and decided that the nearest garbage can will do just fine. Welcome to STOMP, a wildly inventive theatrical experience that transforms ordinary objects into an extraordinary orchestra of rhythm, movement, and comedy. Eight performers take the stage armed with brooms, matchboxes, wooden poles, hubcaps, and an assortment of objects most people would never consider musical. Before long, these everyday items become the foundation for an increasingly elaborate display of precision, coordination, and imagination. A simple sweeping motion develops into a contagious rhythmic sequence, while the clatter of metal and the shuffle of feet create musical conversations without a spoken word. The performers communicate through gestures, expressions, playful rivalries, and perfectly timed physical comedy, turning their unconventional percussion routines into miniature theatrical adventures. There is no traditional storyline to follow, no elaborate dialogue to decipher, and certainly no shortage of surprises. Instead, STOMP invites audiences to discover the music hidden in the ordinary sounds of daily life. Combining energetic movement, sharp humor, athletic coordination, and extraordinary rhythmic creativity, this internationally celebrated production proves that almost anything can become an instrument when imagination takes control.

Wendy Darling and her younger brothers are preparing for another ordinary evening in their London nursery when an unexpected visitor changes everything. His name is Peter Pan, and unlike most boys, he can fly, never intends to grow up, and happens to have a fairy companion named Tinker Bell. Before the Darling children can fully comprehend what is happening, a sprinkling of pixie dust sends them soaring above the rooftops toward the mysterious island of Neverland. There, childhood imagination becomes a breathtaking reality populated by mermaids, mischievous Lost Boys, dangerous pirates, and extraordinary adventures waiting around every corner. Their greatest threat comes from the flamboyant Captain Hook, a villain whose obsession with Peter is matched only by his understandable fear of a persistent crocodile. As Wendy and her brothers explore this magical world, they encounter the exhilarating freedoms of childhood alongside unexpected questions about family, responsibility, and growing older. Filled with beloved songs including I'm Flying, I've Gotta Crow, I Won't Grow Up, and Never Never Land, this musical adaptation of J.M. Barrie's timeless adventure offers excitement, humor, and theatrical enchantment. Presented by El Dorado Musical Theatre, Peter Pan celebrates the imagination that makes childhood extraordinary and the enduring appeal of believing that impossible adventures might be waiting just beyond the bedroom window.

The lights rise, the music begins, and suddenly the ballroom becomes a thrilling arena where precision, passion, and astonishing athletic ability collide. Burn The Floor: Maks & Peta brings the spectacular world of ballroom and Latin dance to life through an exhilarating combination of traditional techniques and contemporary theatrical imagination. At the center of this electrifying production are Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd, celebrated dancers whose remarkable careers have introduced millions of television viewers to the artistry and excitement of competitive dance. Joined by a company of accomplished Burn The Floor performers and a live band, the duo explores the expressive possibilities of movement through vibrant choreography, dramatic musical arrangements, and captivating stage personalities. Elegant ballroom passages give way to fiery Latin rhythms, while graceful partnerships alternate with breathtaking displays of speed, strength, and coordination. Each number presents a different atmosphere, allowing the dancers to communicate everything from playful flirtation to fierce determination without relying on spoken dialogue. Drawing upon the internationally acclaimed Burn The Floor tradition, this production celebrates the remarkable versatility of ballroom performance. The result is a dazzling evening where music and movement become a shared language, inviting audiences to experience the excitement, beauty, and irresistible energy of dance.

A powerful rhythm begins beneath the stage lights, growing steadily until the unmistakable sound of Irish step dancing fills the theater. Within moments, an extraordinary company of dancers transforms intricate footwork into a breathtaking celebration of music, movement, and cultural tradition. Riverdance has captivated audiences around the world with its distinctive fusion of traditional Irish dance, contemporary theatrical choreography, and stirring musical arrangements. Its thirtieth anniversary production introduces a new generation of performers who bring remarkable athleticism, youthful energy, and extraordinary precision to the internationally celebrated spectacle. Lines of dancers move in perfect synchronization, their rapid footwork creating thunderous rhythms while their upright posture adds an unmistakable elegance to every sequence. Between the exhilarating ensemble numbers, musicians and singers contribute melodies that evoke the landscapes, history, and enduring cultural spirit of Ireland. The production moves through contrasting moods, from intimate musical passages to spectacular choreographic displays filled with extraordinary speed and coordination. Created around Bill Whelan's celebrated music, with production by Moya Doherty and direction by John McColgan, Riverdance remains a remarkable expression of artistic heritage and theatrical innovation. This anniversary celebration invites audiences to discover how traditional movement can become something wonderfully contemporary without losing the distinctive spirit that made it famous.

Nature has always been capable of extraordinary surprises, but in the imaginative world of MOMIX, flowers, insects, animals, and changing seasons become the inspiration for something almost impossible to describe. Botanica invites audiences into a surreal theatrical landscape where human movement merges with the familiar rhythms of the natural world. Rather than following a conventional storyline, the performance unfolds as a sequence of fantastical images inspired by the passing of a day and the transformation of the seasons. Dancers appear to become living extensions of plants, delicate creatures, and mysterious natural forms, using exceptional athleticism and carefully coordinated movement to create captivating visual illusions. Elaborate props, whimsical puppetry, imaginative lighting, and cinematic projections contribute to an atmosphere where ordinary expectations about the human body seem delightfully irrelevant. Accompanied by an eclectic musical soundtrack that includes birdsong and compositions by Vivaldi, the performers create scenes that alternate between playful humor, quiet beauty, and astonishing physical invention. The internationally celebrated dance company blends contemporary choreography with visual theater, presenting nature through an unusually inventive artistic perspective. Botanica offers an immersive experience in which imagination transforms the stage into an ever-changing garden of movement, color, music, and unexpected wonder.

Jenna has a remarkable talent for baking pies, an unfortunate habit of keeping her feelings bottled up, and a growing suspicion that life should offer something more satisfying than her present circumstances. Working at a small-town diner, she spends her days serving customers, exchanging observations with her fellow waitresses, and creating extraordinary desserts inspired by the emotional complications of everyday life. Her marriage is deeply unhappy, her financial prospects are discouraging, and the future seems determined to remain stubbornly predictable. Then an unexpected personal development introduces another complication into her already difficult circumstances. As Jenna struggles to understand what she truly wants, a nearby baking competition offers the tantalizing possibility of a different future. Meanwhile, an intriguing new acquaintance adds another unexpected ingredient to a life already overflowing with uncertainty. Fortunately, her friendships with fellow waitresses Becky and Dawn provide laughter, encouragement, and occasional reminders that nobody has everything figured out. Featuring music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson, Waitress blends heartfelt drama with sharp comedy and memorable songs. This uplifting Broadway musical explores friendship, motherhood, personal courage, and the difficult decisions involved in pursuing happiness when life's recipe has become considerably more complicated than expected.